EVMs taken inside a hotel in Bihar, poll official served notice
Muzaffarpur (Bihar): A poll official here was on Tuesday served a show cause notice for keeping six EVMs inside a hotel room while voting was on in Bihar in the fifth phase.
The district authorities have, however, asserted that none of the machines were used or their seals broken.
The matter had come to light Monday when several local leaders of the opposition Mahagathbandhan noticed that poll-related paraphernalia were being taken inside a hotel by sector magistrate Awadhesh Kumar and raised an alarm.
A show cause notice has been issued to Kumar for his action which went against the rules. EVMs are not supposed to be kept at any place other than in the strong room or the assigned polling booth. In addition to the sector magistrate, action may be taken against five police personnel who had helped him in unloading the EVMs at the hotel, Muzaffarpur district magistrate, Alok Ranjan Ghosh, who is also the district election officer, said.
He, however, dismissed allegations of suspected misuse saying None of the EVMs were used for voting and all were sealed. These were kept in reserve, meant for replacement in case of a snag being reported from anywhere.
A demonstration against it was staged by local leaders of 'Mahagathbandhan' (opposition alliance) partner Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), a fledgling outfit, which has fielded its candidate Rajbhushan Chaudhary from the seat and the RJD which is the largest constituent of the opposition formation.
The Mahagathbandhan leaders alleged that the incident pointed towards an attempt to rig the polls by the local administration in favor of the NDA, which is in power in Bihar.
The NDA has fielded sitting BJP MP Ajay Nishad from the seat
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
